Posted on 12/27/2013 11:06:06 AM PST by Red Steel
Starting Jan. 1, every woman in the Marines Corps was supposed to meet a new physical standard by performing three pullups. But that has been put off.
The Marine Corps announced it quietly. There was no news conference — just a notice on its social media sites and an item on its own TV show, The Corps Report.
Lance Cpl. Ally Beiswanger explained that the pullup test had been put off until sometime next year, to gather more data and "ensure all female Marines are given the best opportunity to succeed."
So far, female Marines are not succeeding. Fifty-five percent of female recruits tested at the end of boot camp were doing fewer than three pullups; only 1 percent of male recruits failed the test.
The three pullups is already the minimum required for all male Marines. Now the Marine Corps has postponed the plan, and that's raising questions about whether women have the physical strength to handle ground combat, which they'll be allowed to do beginning in 2016.
Marine officers would not talk to NPR on tape. They said they delayed the pullup requirement to avoid losing not only recruits but also current female Marines who can't pass the test.
The Marine Corps has been using it to test upper body strength for men for more than 40 years. And that upper body strength, they say, is necessary to serve in ground combat: to pull yourself out of a canal in Afghanistan, to climb over a mud wall, to carry an ammunition box.
Setting A Tougher Standard
For years, female Marines have had to meet a different standard — an exercise called the "flexed arm hang" (holding one's chin above the pullup bar for at least 15 seconds).
But beginning in 2016, women in the Marine Corps and Army will be allowed to serve in infantry, armor and artillery units. And they'll need to be strong enough to climb those mud walls and carry ammunition.
Robert Maginnis, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, says the delay shows that women just can't meet the same standards.
"Young women, in spite of all the training and all the best intentions, are not going to be the equal of young men in terms of upper body strength," Maginnis says. "You've got to have a lot of upper body strength to lift the stuff. Been there, done that."
“And that upper body strength, they say, is necessary to serve in ground combat: to pull yourself out of a canal in Afghanistan, to climb over a mud wall, to carry an ammunition box.”
If women can physically barrel their way through 50 people during a Macy’s shoe sale, they can easily do the top paragraph.
So even the 45 percent of females that can do 3 pull ups are not equal to combat. The typical male has more distance to cover between his “down” and his “up” in pull ups (and push ups). The typical male also is lifting more wieght than the typical female.
The differences are greater than the 55 percent failure rate for female recruits and the one percent failure rate for male recruits.
Three pullups??? That’s the STANDARD???? Don’t tell me we’re not lowering military standards to “qualify” females! We know this is happening throughout all military branches. PATHETIC!!!!
It’s a matter of incentives...
And the last time it rained water was still wet. I understand why we recruited females into the military in World War II. It freed up a man who could then go to the war zone. Makes sense. What we’re doing now makes no sense at all. Certain things in life are “men’s work” and other things are “women’s work” and there is a reason for that. See any women in the NFL? Of course not! Not too many females in the coal mines, the oil fields, the garages, the lumberjacks, the commercial fishing vessels or the locomotive round house, either. Why would that be? Maybe the same reason that there aren’t thousands of men in the preschools, Hooters, sewing rooms, nursing, family kitchens, etc.
THREE???? pullups? As a freshman in HighSchool I set the class record with 28. Did 96 chinups
They’ve missed the real demographic they should be going after; junior high school girls. You never saw a more vicious or ruthless bunch of natural killers. Give them some guns and tell them that “those guys over there said your shoes make you look stupid.” Then see what happens.
Seriously, I’m 54 years old and I can do a lot more than three pullups. And I’ve never been confused with Charles Atlas. That’s a really low standard and if the girls can’t meet it, they have no business anywhere near combat.
Gen. Amos has been a disaster as commandant.
The only benefit that’s come out of the female “equality” movement of the 60s is to show and in many cases prove that inequality in most cases is inbred. The idea of proving something in competition is one thing, but to continue to try to prove a falsehood just to make a point is going to get people killed, as is the case here.
If you expect to do the same job, perform the same actions or find something else to do.
DO NOT LOWER THE STANDARDS.
Ever.
After one particularly difficult day of training (can't recall the details) the interviewers visited the male barracks.Several guys were interviewed as the camera panned over the group.They *all* looked exhausted and a bit discouraged and the several who spoke confirmed that that was exactly the case.Then the women's barracks were shown.Almost all the recruits were weeping openly...and loudly...and the several recruits who spoke said how utterly devastated they were.
I got the distinct impression from this documentary that women are *not* cut out to be "grunts"....not even close.
Ah ha ha
I’ve been on Moscow streets and seen the young men of the new Russian Army.
Stocky, round faced Slavs and tall chiseled Scandinavians, all bursting with rough energy.
The day those guys face the U.S. Marine girls will be the day the whole facade collapses.
Learn Russian now.
Men and women are different. Stop trying to treat them the same way.
My wife when she was in the Marines was in perfect physical condition. She was tough and she could do around 12 pull ups. That is what the average male Marine can do. Anyhow, she is one of the few women I know tough enough to mentally and physically to pass infantry training. She is the exception to the rule. Placing women in combat positions is a bad idea for many reasons. The biggest reason is that that they cannot perform up to average male standards and will die in greater numbers and cause others to die in their respective units.
Wait... For a male to pass the upper body test.... He needs to do THREE pull-ups ....you have got to be f’n kidding...
I’m 55 years old overweight by 50 lbs and probably still do three pull-ups or with a little bit of work do it after a week....
At 18 I could do 20 and barely break a sweat....
What the hell does THAT mean?
What kind of "ensurance" for "the best opportunity" could possibly be acquired for someone that can't do 3 pullups?
I'm 66, and I just attempted 3 pullups ... it hurt like hell ... and I don't know if I could do 5 ... certainly not ten ... but I did 3.
I'm fitter than a 19 year old BAM ?
I don’t have an MBA, background in finance, or a 3 piece suit... but I want to (make (read as: “deserve”) an easy six figure salary, so I may as well apply for an executive position at Wells Fargo.
But do they make the “pinup” standard? That’s what I want to know!
new world order gutting the US military.
During BCT (in '69) we certainly did a whole lot more than three.I can't recall for sure but I think that 15 or 20 was the minimum.These were Army pullups,with your palms facing your face.I don't recall ever having been able to do a single Marine Corps pullup.
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